The Health Product Declaration (HPD) provides a standardized way of reporting the material contents of building products, and the health effects associated with these materials. Perkins + Will, Smith Group JJR, HKS, ZGF and other significant AEC firms encourage building product manufacturers to provide HPDs in order to be considered for product specification. Manufacturers who provide HPDs will be given preference over manufacturers that don’t comply with these requests.
✐ Complete the HPD Form to get started
What is a Health Product Declaration?
The HPD Open Standard is a voluntary technical specification that reports product contents and the associated health information. The HPD Open Standard was developed by manufacturers, architects, designers, specifiers, contractors, and scientists. HPDs enable manufacturers to disclose information from meeting minimum requirements to full disclosure and transparency. The HPD Open Standard is managed the HPD Collaborative (HPDC), a non-profit member organization representing the AEC industry.
Elixir Environmental helps building product manufacturers develop HPDs to meet the requirements for LEED, WELL, CHPS, and mindful MATERIALS. Developing HPDs can be difficult for building product manufacturers. Elixir Environmental has created the most cost-effective and user-friendly process in the industry.
Elixir Environmental assists manufacturers with the following:
- Manage the HPD project from beginning to end
- Identify all ingredients in your product
- Work with your supply chain to collect information
- Obtain data via Non-Disclosure Agreements
- Review and evaluate data from suppliers
- Help you publish a LEED compliant HPD
- Educate your team on how to develop future HPDs
- Generate spec data for mindful MATERIALS
- Coordinate HPD verification process if applicable
Benefits of Hiring A Sustainability Consultant
Sometimes, it makes sense for a building product manufacturer to hire a third-party consultant. Why should a building product manufacturer hire Elixir Environmental for HPD development?
Manufacturers may hire Elixir Environmental because they:
- Don’t have the resources
- Have a tight deadline
- Can’t obtain data from suppliers
- Don’t have scientific expertise to create HPDs
- Can’t navigate complex multi-tiered process
- Want to ensure they get their LEED points
- Need to train their employees to develop HPDs
- Need integrate HPDs into their AIA/USGBC CE courses
Most building product manufacturers develop HPDs to meet LEED requirements. HPDs are the easiest and most cost-effective way to achieve this critical LEED credit.
LEED v5 MR: Building Product Selection and Procurement
Intent:
To encourage the use of products and materials that have sustainability information available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable impacts in alignment with industry momentum. To reward project teams for selecting products from manufacturers who have disclosed sustainability information about their products and optimized their products across multiple criteria areas.
Requirements:
Select nonstructural building products that demonstrate achievement in one or more of five criteria areas:
• Climate health
• Human health
• Ecosystem health
• Social health and equity
• Circular economy
Products that achieve two or more criteria areas are considered multi-attribute. Products that achieve higher levels of use and/or that are across additional criteria areas will be given a higher value in credit calculations.
Achievement is demonstrated through eligible compliant manufacturer product documentation, which includes third-party product certifications, ecolabels, declarations, and standards. A single product document can demonstrate multiple benefits and/or achievement levels, or the product can earn multi-attribute criteria through a combination of separate eligible product documents.
There are three achievement levels for products:
Level 1: A product in this level achieves a first step toward sustainability for a criteria area. Widespread achievement of these practices drive market transformation toward sustainability outcomes within the criteria area. Products scored at this level earn a 1x multiplier.
Level 2: This level represents a leadership position in the marketplace for a given sustainability attribute. Products at this level are optimized and demonstrate a level of sustainability that peers aspire to achieve. Products scored at this level earn a 2x multiplier.
Level 3: Products that earn this level are elite and represent the forefront of sustainability. Products scored at this level earn a 3x multiplier.
This credit rewards the selection of eligible interior and enclosure materials from the following product categories:
• Paints and coatings
• Adhesives and sealants
• Flooring
• Walls
• Ceilings
• Insulation
• Furniture
• Composite wood
• Plumbing fixtures
Eligible products meet the achievement levels and are scored as 1, 2, or 3. These scores are added across criteria areas to add up to a maximum score of 5 per product. This cumulative score is called the product “multi-attribute score.”
How HPDs Contribute Points
HPDs can contribute points to the LEED v5 MR: Building Product Selection and Procurement by fulfilling the requirements under the Human Health impact area. Compliant HPDs can contribute 1-2 points for this LEED credit by meeting threshold and verification criteria.
The HPD verification process for HPDs includes:
- Compliance with the requirements of the HPD Open Standard
- Confirming that the product’s formulation reporting matches provided documentation and is aligned with the Health Product Declaration Standard requirements
- Ensures that any non-disclosed proprietary information is accurately represented in the HPD
Health Product Declaration (HPD) Verification
Elixir Environmental can help product manufacturers with HPD verification. The HPDC Third-Party Verification Program provides a framework for an additional level of assurance that a completed Health Product Declaration (HPD) fully complies with the HPD Open Standard. Our team works with Approved HPD Third-Party Verifiers. A Third Party Verification is conducted as a desk audit of the HPD and its documentation.